It has now been over a month since I sat in Dell Hall at the Long Center, blown away by the virtuosity of the Menuhin International Violin Competition prize winners, judges, and the visiting Cleveland Orchestra. The audience was treated that night to the Ravel Tzigan, Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro for soloist and orchestra, the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. The performance was spectacular; it was the perfect conclusion to the previous 10 days of violin mastery.

On February 20, a Thursday, violinists from around the world began to find their way to the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas in order to check in and orient themselves to their new environment. The violinists who arrived were only the top forty-two selected to compete, twenty-one under 18 and twenty between 16 and 22, out of 275 applicants. According to Gordan Back, the Menuhin Artistic Director who gave a lecture on the structure of the competition, only two out of the 275 shouldn’t have applied. He made it clear that choosing the top twenty-two violinist in each division was nearly impossible, but he was very excited to welcome all candidates, especially from different countries, to compete in the first round.

The ten judges, violinist and a pianists each with their own distinguished teaching and performing career, listened as audience members to each candidate for five rounds total of competition. Performers selected a program from options provided in each category, and hoped to offer judges a snapshot of their full range of performance ability at this point in time. The contestants crafted performances of virtuosity [Paganini, Wienawski, Sarasate], lyricsm [second movements of Mozart Violin Concertos, Solo Bach], cooperation [Haydn Quartet, Beethoven Sonata, Halvossen Pasacaglia], dexterity [improvisation, new compositions], and maturity [complete violin concertos with orchestra].

I have now had a chance to reflect on my observations, and partially digest the sheer talent and uniqueness of each competitor.  After a month of pondering and revisiting the judges’ decisions through preliminary rounds, and eventually their selection of only two winners, I have attempted to discern exactly what the judges were looking for in a Menuhin Competition winner.

Because the standard of playing was so high from all candidates invited to Austin to compete, judges expected a professional quality of playing. The following are not characteristics that set each player apart, but rather non-negotiates exhibited consistently all ten days of competition.

MASTERY OF TECHNIQUE. Every single competitor exceeded proficiency in violin technique. Shifting, intonation, varieties of vibrato, finger dexterity, a plethora of bow strokes, rhythmic accuracy, and leading skills had already been well developed.
OWNERSHIP. Every single competitor demonstrated ownership; they kept up with other competitors and performers and congratulated their peers without the prompting of chaperones. Most importantly, every young violinists carried his or her own instrument.
FOCUS. Every single competitor was focused (but not hyper-focused) on the Menuhin Competition at hand, and violin in general. Each had a sense of purpose.
CONFIDENCE, CONTROL, COMFORT. Every single competitor walked onstage, demonstrating much confidence in their individual skills and comfort with the violin.

Because all forty competitors demonstrated these four foundational aspects of musicianship, judges then had only two elements of playing to base advancement on.

TONE. Quality, versatility, and uniqueness of tone
PERFORMANCE ABILITY. Stage presence, direction, and conviction. Ability to speak to the audience.

Considering the role tone and performance ability played in the competition as a whole, I now see them as the two most important aspects of a professional musician’s career. The work then, as a musician, is to build a solid technical foundation strengthened by focus, ownership, and confidence. From there, we allow performance presence and our own uniqueness of tone to set us apart.

Congratulations to winners, Stephen Waarts and Rennosuke Fukuda. I will certainly be keeping tabs on the Menuhin Competition 2016 in London.